“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything else you do flows from it.” That’s Proverbs 4:23 and it’s the bullseye.

I am now more vociferously taking this a step further. I’m guarding the eyes and ears of my heart. What am I watching? Do I really want that image in my memory? What am I giving my attention to both internally & externally? Is it challenging me in a good way? Am I running a rut in a well-worn track? What am I listening to? Do the words of this song uplift me? Am I singing along to what I want to feel? How much negative news does anyone need to listen to on a daily basis? The media wants us to believe it’s 24/7; as if we could possibly miss something.

A long time ago a dear friend said to me “Garbage in – garbage out.” How true those words ring. I’ve decided the scales of my environment need to weigh heavily on the side of positivity including lighthearted, encouraging and hopeful. Who am I surrounding myself with? What is their attitude? Do we lift each other up to braver, lighter more joyful places?

Time is our most precious commodity; Time is wealth; so how am I choosing to invest my heart? What do I want my heart to hold since out it flows the issues of life?

Time to detoxify; recalibrate and set my focus on things that are lovely, kind and of good report.

People say change “can” be hard to accept, well I’m here to say IT IS along with being frightening & exhausting.

Leaving behind what we know and are familiar with can be stressful to say the least. I speak from experience – this will be the 3rd time my family has moved in the last 9 months. Now I realize I’m painting with a dark palette but there are streaks of light.

I’ve learned to travel lighter. There is only so much household accoutrement one really needs and it’s a good time to share the wealth. A dear friend suggested I look at objects and ask myself “Does this bring me joy?” and allow it to fare accordingly.

I discovered there’s no such thing as perfect and even if there is, contentment beats it by a mile. Change brings plenty of decisions to be made and I’ve found “Let peace be your umpire” the best advice yet, courtesy of Saint Paul.

We are still in the throes of this latest change and quite honestly stress has ruled more days than I care to admit. But it’s okay to be emotional. No one emotion is more valid than another and each deserves its own particular attention. Self-sufficiency is an admirable attribute but it’s also good to ask for help because it gives family and friends an opportunity to give of themselves.

So, in the midst of upheaval I’m also navigating a change of heart. More to come.

As February comes to an end, I am reflecting on my New Year’s resolution. I decided to create a healthier lifestyle, which included joining a new gym and adjusting my diet to eat cleaner. With a full time job and two young children I need all of the energy I can get in order to keep up with my life, besides the fact that I am trying to stop my face from falling (lol). The first thing I do when my body feels sluggish is give it what it needs to run more efficiently. This resolution seemed so easy on January 1st with the promise of a fresh start, but as the months go on life brings its challenges and my resolution seems more challenging then I originally planned. That cup of coffee in the morning looks much more appetizing then the glass of water cut with apple cider vinegar.
Maybe it’s not just my diet and exercise routine that are the problem? What do I do when if my brain is sluggish? I recognize my thoughts and mindset are as detrimental to my body as my diet is. If what I put in my body is important, then the thoughts I allow my mind to make is equally as important. With this new found knowledge I have embarked on a mental cleanse. Thanks to a wonderful member of my tribe who shared the app Insight Timer with me, I now begin and end each day with a guided meditation. Not only can I select the perfect meditation but I can also join a community of others who are on the same journey. Knowing that I am not the only person with worries, anxiety, and stress is comforting. In addition, I started researching chakra balancing. This is the process of opening each center of energy which translates into a feeling of total well-being.
On January 1st I was missing a big piece of the puzzle. It isn’t only diet and exercise that create a healthy body. Having my brain and heart in harmony has created true peace. Forget my New Year’s resolution, hello new way of life.

The first step in a journey is inspired by a dream. Whether it is a hike, a drive, a redo, a challenge, an expedition into the mind, etc. the adventurer takes off with the intent to accomplish a personal vision.
I love the excitement caused by the anticipation of a journey, whether it is a big one like a trek across Europe or a small one like a drive to the city to collect a piece of long sought-after art, the expectancy is thrilling. Usually I don’t find it difficult to set sail. But I confess, recently I did because the journey that I was about to embark on involved a transformation within myself and my surroundings. I couldn’t take the first step because I didn’t know where to or how to begin.
In my cyber-search for guidance, I stumbled upon Mike Dooley. Here I found the direction I was looking for. I participated in a 30-day free course that focused on how to move your dream forward. I purchased a notebook and logged on to each short, self-directed session every day. At the end of the 30 days I had a notebook filled with storyboard pictures, subject notes, inspirational quotes, personal to do lists and a cyber-community of “friends” that helped motivate me to create my own roadmap to success.
Today I am a different person than the person I was a year ago. I transformed a former guest bedroom into a DIY home office and meditation room and presently, I am sitting at the desk that is nestled in a corner of the room writing this blog and cyber-searching new business ventures. Where did my journey take me? It took me to places unknown full of discovery within myself, my relationships, my career, and the intimate world around me.
I didn’t go it alone. Two masters help to inspire me along the way. The first, the Master of the Universe in these words, “Take courage, do not fear, start a new life tomorrow; put the old mistakes away, and start anew unburdened, no anxiety, no worry, be glad, be thankful.”
The second, The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, “Dream, baby, dream, dream baby dream, we got to keep the light burning, we got to keep the fire burning, we got to keep the light burning, come on and dream on dream baby dream.”
We are never too old, too settled, or too down to dream, so put on your backpack, pick up your walking stick and tread on. We’re all in this…. together.
Peace,India